by Helen Kain | Apr 16, 2015 | Entertablement Abroad, France, Gardens and Flowers
The following day we set out for Sarlat, in the Dordogne. Loading the luggage into the car, we bid farewell to the wonderful staff at Hotel de Minimes and settled in for the drive. The town of Sarlat has been around since Roman times, its fortunes waxing and waning...
by Helen Kain | Apr 15, 2015 | Entertablement Abroad, France, Gardens and Flowers
It was our last day in Amboise, and we had time to see one more Chateau. Anxious to see the “rest of the story” between Diane de Poitiers and Catherine de Medici I voted for Chateau de Chaumont. I was dying to see the...
by Helen Kain | Apr 14, 2015 | Chateaux, Entertablement Abroad, France, Gardens and Flowers
Another day, another Chateau… Chateau de Villandry is rightly famous for its magnificent gardens, very much in the French parterre style. I’m more of an English Country perennial garden gal, myself, but these were something to behold. We...
by Helen Kain | Apr 13, 2015 | Entertablement Abroad, France, Gardens and Flowers
The next Chateau on our list was Chambord, probably the most photographed Chateau in the Loire Valley, if not all of France. It is certainly the largest, and is a marvellous example of French Renaissance architecture, built by King Francis I (yes,the self same...
by Helen Kain | Apr 13, 2015 | Entertablement Abroad, France, Gardens and Flowers
We finished up at Chateau de Chambord by having an excellent lunch in the restaurant on the grounds, and planned our afternoon. Glenn and Paul had discovered a vintage car museum not far away, so their plans veered in that direction. Chris and I decided to forgo...
by Helen Kain | Apr 12, 2015 | Chateaux, Entertablement Abroad, France, Gardens and Flowers
Our first Chateau visit was Chenonceau. Although it has origins in the 12th century, the current structure was built between 1514 and 1522 on the foundations of an old mill, and then later extended to span the river Cher. In 1535 King Francis I seized it...
